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Circadian rhythms usually sync well with our external environment for most of us. Typically, we sleep at night and stay awake during the day if we are not on shift work or raising an infant. Not everyone’s sleep-wake cycle is the same, however. Some of us are morning people, or “early birds,” while others are “night owls,” more active in the evening. These personal patterns in daily activity levels are known as our chronotype. Studies have found that early birds and night owls differ in how their sleep is regulated (Taillard, Philip, Coste, Sagaspe, & Bioulac, 2003). Sleep regulation is all about how the brain manages the transition between being asleep and awake, and how it aligns this cycle with the external world.

Early birds vs Night Owls

• Early birds and night owls differ in their circadian rhythms and environmental factors, affecting their morningness-eveningness preferences (Marvel-Coen, Scrivner, & Maestripieri, 2018).
• Early birds experience circadian arousal peaks earlier in the morning than night owls, impacting their performance on various tasks (Jun, McDuff, & Czerwinski, 2019).
• Night owls are compromised earlier in the day compared to early birds, showing impaired cognitive and physical performance (Facer-Childs, Boiling, & Balanos, 2018).